The present invention relates generally to multi-player board games. More particularly, the present invention relates to a multi-player board game of the type comprising a plurality of "question" cards which must be correctly answered to generate movement points for the players.
As will be recognized by those skilled in this art, a wide variety of board games previously exist. For example, of some relevance to the present invention are the educational board games disclosed by Rossetti, U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,717 issued May 23, 1978; by Mele et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,918, issued Aug. 29, 1978; and by Font, U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,910, issued June 10, 1986. Each of the games disclosed in the aforementioned prior art patents employs a plurality of cards which present questions or information adapted to elicit a preselected response from the players, and some form of game board for marking player progress. In each of the above-referenced games, the player's movement on the game board is determined by the player's ability to correctly answer the question or clues on the playing card.
Board games disclosed by Todd, U.S. Pat. No. 999,913, issued Aug. 8, 1911; by Maguire et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,607,848, issued Aug. 26, 1986; and by Rita, U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,393, issued Mar. 22, 1988, also employ playing cards which provide information to suggest the correct answer. However, these games provide a separate player board or score card for noting player progress. In some games, such as that of the Todd reference, cards are arranged in a manner that makes them difficult for the players to use. For example, all cards in a given series are related to the same general subject and are dependent upon one another. The correct "answer" and score value for one question card is displayed on a different card, which must be located before the player may be awarded game points. Moreover, there is only one question per card, so that the player is only afforded a single chance to guess the correct answer. Additionally, the question or statement is directed to only one player who must attempt to answer, and the other players are not given the opportunity to respond.
Various educational card games also have been proposed in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 678,791, issued to Ford on July 16, 1901, illustrates game cards which include both a pictorial and a written, narrative description of the subject matter. The card includes various questions adapted to suggest the subject matter of the card. During play, each player holds a plurality of question cards. Certain difficulties are encountered during play, since various questions are independent of each other, and may be read in numerical order only, although each is equally suggestive of the answer. The answer appears on the side opposite the questions, and the same card may be viewed by different players during the game. Moreover, the game is limited to include only subjects which may be graphically depicted. Only one player is selected to answer a particular question.
A similar card game is proposed by Brister, U.S. Pat. No. 1,138,534, issued May 4, 1915. Described therein are two-part playing cards which are separated before play. One half of the card presents a list of several multiple choices to be matched by the players to the opposite half which presents the correct answer. The players see the answer choices before a question is asked, and must merely select the correct of the available answers. Suggestions and answers may be in question, narrative, descriptive, or pictorial form. The participation of a "lecturer" who is not entitled to score to win the game is also required. One player is selected to offer an answer, and other players are not permitted to volunteer a response. No board or other game apparatus is used for marking player progress.
While other such games employ various forms of clues, no board game of which I am aware provides a plurality of intellectually-based statements, in the form of "clue" cards, which when correctly answered generate piece movements in the manner I disclose. All of the aforementioned games are essentially educational in purpose, and are thus typically narrowly limited in the scope of the subject matter presented. The prior art does not provide games having clues of sequentially varying difficulty. None of the prior art games known to me generates different score values for different clues related to a single correct answer. Moreover, none of the aforementioned prior art games addresses both the player's knowledge and board strategy skills. The playing rules of the prior art game appear too rigid to permit constructive interplay or enjoyable competition between game players.
Hence it is desired to provide an entertaining and challenging game which may be enjoyed by any number of players of varying levels of skill.